Bell fastest in Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore practice

Bell fastest in Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore practice

British racer Matt Bell threw down a quick lap in the third and final practice session of the day at the Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore to top the day’s time charts in the No. 26 K2R Motorsports Ligier LMP3 machine.

Bell posted a best lap of 1m58.579s, which was 0.347 seconds quicker than his next closest competitor, Kyle Kirkwood in the No. 13 ANSA Motorsports Ligier. Bell and co-drivers James McGuire Jr. and Kay van Berlo will be looking to parlay that practice speed into success in Sunday’s four-hour race, which takes the green flag at noon ET.

“We’ve just been chipping away for the whole two days, the promoter test day yesterday and the three IMSA sessions today,” Bell said. “We have actually been struggling with the balance of the car a little bit through the day, and we feel like we’re starting to narrow in on where we want to be for the race.

“We made some good steps there. We’ve just been working together as a really nice unit. Everybody is kind of on the same page and we’re all working away. It’s been difficult this morning and we’ve gone in the right direction. I think it’s starting to show the rewards and benefits of that now, so it’s been a good day.”

Kyle Marcelli was quickest in the GT4 class, also turning his best time of the day in the final session. The Canadian’s best lap was a 2m11.339s in the No. 60 Roush Performance/KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4.

In the TCR class, Remo Ruscitti was fastest on the day in the No. 82 Mark Motors Racing Audi RS3 LMS TCR he shares with fellow Canadian Marco Cirone. Ruscitti’s best time – also set in the final session – was a 2m14.937s.